Fourth-year art student Ammon Rost would be the last person to suggest that he deserves to be singled out. His unique artwork, however, demands to be noticed.
Over the last year, Rost has created a series of works by photographing parts of the swirling paintings he creates as a part of his art curriculum. Using a digital camera and a computer, he then manipulates and edits the images into a streaming visual display. By setting the completed piece to music, the original paintings practically come to life.
The impetus for this intriguing brand of media art came when visiting faculty member Bob Zoell pointed out that many of Rost’s paintings include smaller elements that could easily stand on their own. Zoell then suggested that Rost buy a digital camera, and things grew from there.
Rost has found that this kind of work appeals to his desire to incorporate many kinds of art into a single experience.
“I’ve been frustrated not being able to combine all of these different forms of art, like sculpture, or even music,” Rost said. “Someone is always asking, ‘What are you? Are you a photographer?’ Instead of saying, ‘Yes, here’s my photos,’ I can say, ‘Here, this is what I’ve made.’”
His appetite for collaboration led Rost and several friends to launch lalafriend.com, a Web site that solicits writers, musicians and dancers alike to participate in the creation of digital projects. Rost’s paintings are also available for purchase via the Web site.
The finished digital pieces, many of which are also available for viewing on the site, have become a popular addition to many Los Angeles-area rave parties. Dance party organizers rent and project Rost’s work against walls and floors, as the images complement the driving electronic beats that ravers adore. Rost, however, would not like his work to be limited to one musical genre.
“I don’t prefer electronic music at all,” he said. “I love that people dance to it, but there’s a huge difference between a DJ who has been spinning for a year and someone who has played the violin since they were 3.”
Rost’s appreciation for classically trained artists is one reason why he is currently seeking collaborators for a mini-symphony that would combine classical music with digitally projected art.
Previous projections posted on lalafriend.com, however, have titles such as “Bringing the Rock” for good reason. Many of the ideas that Rost draws on come from rock ’n’ roll, and he feels that as an artist, the more you rock the better. It is important for young people to embrace the fact that they are young, despite what some of the older generations may be telling you in a classroom, Rost said.
The spirit of individual expression often attributed to rock ’n’ roll is one cultural element Rost can do without, however. In his view, no artist should be an island.
“A lot of artists kind of go their own way, they think they can do everything by themselves,” Rost said. “That’s what I thought for a while, but you need to see what other people are doing and try to dance with their art.”
To view or purchase Rost’s
artwork, visit lalafriend.com.